Contamination of cosmetic products is rare but some products may be unable to suppress the growth of certain bacteria, says Dr Bakir from the Japan Collection of Microorganisms, Saitama, Japan. We discovered a new species of bacteria called Microbacterium hatanonis, which we found contaminates hairspray.

We also found a related species, Microbacterium oxydans in hairspray which was originally isolated from hospital material. Microbacterium species have been identified in milk, cheese, beef, eggs and even in the blood of patients with leukaemia, on catheters and in bone marrow.

The scientists looked at the appearance and diet of the bacterium, then analysed its genome to show that it is an entirely new species. It has been named in honour of Dr Kazunori Hatano, for his contribution to the understanding of the genus Microbacterium, says Dr Bakir. Microbacterium hatanonis is rod-shaped and grows best at 30?°C and pH neutral.

Scientists now need to determine the clinical importance of the new species, as similar bacteria have been found to infect humans. Further testing will establish whether the species is a threat to human health, says Dr Bakir. We hope our study will benefit the formulation of hairspray to prevent contamination in the future.

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Previous studies have demonstrated that engaging in exercise activities in pregnancy is safe, he wrote. Obese women should not be precluded from engaging in physical activities. Obese pregnant women who engage in physical activities during their pregnancies reduce their risk of developing gestational diabetes by 50 percent.

In addition, obese women should limit the amount of weight they gain during pregnancy by eating only enough to provide adequate calories and nourishment for their growing babies.

Artal blamed the obesity epidemic in part on excessive weight gain during pregnancy.

We can certainly speculate that for overweight and obese pregnant women who gained at least 15 pounds during their pregnancies (and evidence suggests that they gain more), pregnancy has become a major contributing factor to the epidemic of obesity, since the general tendency is to retain the weight post-partum.

He urged overweight women who are pregnant to exercise and change their eating habits, which would have a trickle-down effect on the health of the entire family as everyone is likely to eat healthier.

Pregnancy is the time when women are motivated to make changes to improve their lifestyle. It is an optimal time for health care providers to offer their support through community resources to decrease maternal obesity thus impacting the lives of future generations, Artal wrote.

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